Windows 11 may soon warn people on unsupported PCs with a watermark

What you need to know

• Microsoft is testing a watermark to warn people that run Windows 11 on unsupported pieces of hardware.
• A warning message in the Settings app also appears within the latest insider builds of Windows 11.
• The warnings appear within the latest Insider builds of Windows 11.

If you run Windows 11 on unsupported pieces of hardware, you may soon see a couple of warnings. Microsoft is testing two types of warnings in the latest Insider builds of Windows 11. In those builds, the operating system will show a message on the desktop that states "system requirements not met" for any PCs that fall short of Windows 11's needed specs. A similar message will appear within the Settings app if a PC doesn't meet the Windows 11 minimum requirements.

Twitter user Albacore spotted the warning message within the Settings app earlier this month.

Outlets, including the Verge, have since spotted the watermark on the desktop. The watermarks don't stop a PC from functioning, but they let people know that they aren't using Windows as part of an ideal setup. Microsoft uses a similar tactic to inform people that they have not activated Windows.

The minimum requirements of Windows 11 caused controversy among PC owners. The required specs are relatively high and include very specific components. The steps to upgrade an unsupported computer to Windows 11 are straightforward, but you may soon see a couple of warnings if you choose to go that route.